In the eighth round of the Class C2 Ranking League, Kuzuryu sparked a revolution in the "Bishop Exchange" strategy. While I had foreseen this development given my knowledge of the future, the Shogi world was blindsided. Consequently, Kuzuryu extended his official winning streak to ten games, briefly making him the hottest topic in the community.
The atmosphere in the Shogi hall grows heavy during this period. In the Ranking League, the gulf between victory and defeat is immense; the air surrounding promotion candidates feels entirely distinct from the gloom hanging over those facing relegation. As for me, I maintain a perfect record in Class C1, and it seems all but certain I will be promoted to Class B2 next season.
[Filthy Loli King]Thread for folding paper cranes (praying) that Kuzuryu Yaichi loses the Ryuuou title - Part 1110[History's Strongest Lolicon]
851: The filth who stopped the Meijin from securing his 100th title and the 7th Eternal Crown simultaneously.
853: The filth who revolutionized the Bishop Exchange with White (defensive) pieces.
855: I want variations other than "The filth who does such and such."
859: The filth who racks up wins with a solo Knight jump, even when playing Bishop Exchange with Black (offensive) pieces.
864: It's terrifying to play Yagura against this guy.
866: >>864 Don't say that, or the "Sadistic Contrarian Robot" will play Yagura just to spite you.
868: Opening strategies don't even matter to that guy.
871: Aoki talk is off-topic. Go back to your hole.
[Contrarian Robot]Thread to observe a minute of silence for Aoki Haru's next opponent - Part 859[Transcending Software]
874: >>871 The fact that the Aoki thread starts a minute of silence on match day is terrifying.
877: >>874 He has a 95% win rate. You stand for a minute too.
880: Anonymous Player Aoki's Twitter: "Kuzuryu Album: Surrounded by Elementary School Girls - Part 19."
881: Anonymous Player >>880 !?
883: >>880 When were these taken?
886: >>883 First and second are from the New Year's visit. Third and fourth are probably from Ai-chan's first commentary session? Don't know the rest.
889: He even takes them to the New Year's visit? He really is a lolicon.
891: This lolicon is scary.
900: "Best Breeder" Kuzuryu raising little girls in a study group called "Elementary School Girls Research Group" (JS-Ken). The name is clearly suspicious.
901: Apparently, he's also doing research with Sota-kyun, who peacefully reached 3-dan.
903: Does he accept anyone as long as they're young...?
908: He doesn't distinguish between boys and girls as long as they're in elementary school? Is he the paragon of all lolicons?
911: Shouldn't we change the thread title soon? If he doesn't try hard, the Shogi world will go back to one-man dominance.
914: Let's change the "Prayer for title loss" and "Filthy Loli King" parts.
918: >>920 decides.
920: Anonymous Player Post suggestions until 950. Whoever hits 950 changes the title.
923: Best Breeder.
926: Demon of the West.
932: Girl Lover.
937: The Man Most Anticipated to Transcend Software.
943: Build a Long-Term Regime.
948: The Revolutionary.
950: Step by Step. (Reached)
954: >>950 Is this okay?
[Best Breeder]Thread wishing for a long reign for the Revolutionary Kuzuryu Yaichi (Ryuuou) - Part 1111[History's Strongest Lolicon]
957: >>954 Thanks.
959: Good job. You can come to my house and play with Ai-chan.
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(Wait, isn't the title "The Revolutionary" a bit dangerous?) (Ōki)
『It's not a problem. Despite the relentless attacks and harsh criticism, things are finally returning to normal.』 (Ai)
(The bashing was intense, so what we're seeing on the forums now is just the backlash. Well, I doubt Kuzuryu surfs the internet much anyway.) (Ōki)
Browsing the forums, I see that Kuzuryu's threads are multiplying at an accelerated rate, just as I expected. While my own threads do rack up posts thanks to the rows of "prostration" emojis that appear whenever my matches begin, the gap in the sheer number of threads remains significant.
It's not like I care about beating Kuzuryu in thread counts or anything like that.
On the day following the Ryuuou inauguration ceremony, Master Kiyotaki invited Tenai and me to a celebratory party hosted by the Kiyotaki Group. During the event, I ran into Chairman Gekko for the first time in a while, though we only exchanged brief pleasantries. Neither of us neglects social courtesies, even if our relationship is superficial.
(Alright then. Shall we give these 100 blindfold Shogi games our best shot?) (Ōki)
『Since you said it and committed yourself to it, there is no escaping it now. Let's do our best with the teaching games, then.』 (Ai)
Given the massive crowds that flocked to this celebration, they held my "100-Board Blindfold Match." This was by no means a standard teaching session; it was staged as an exhibition event, so the participants' skill levels varied widely between weak and strong. Still, I had to marvel at their ability to gather a hundred people who met the minimum requirement of holding an Amateur Dan rank. Voices rang out without pause: "Board 1, Pawn to 3-5," or "Board 97, Pawn to 4-6."
In contrast, I remained rooted to a chair in the center, entrusting the physical movement of the pieces to capable staff members. I wore an eye mask as a precaution, though I would never resort to cheating. Incidentally, I heard that the sight of Tenai briskly darting around to move pieces on my behalf was more popular than the match itself. Akira-san was also able to assist by moving pieces according to the game records, which was a huge help.
Although it was not strictly a teaching match, Tenai took charge of the post-game reviews for the boards I won. Since we could not dedicate much time to each individual, she limited her feedback to pointing out their "worst move" and "best move." However, because Tenai has become quite adept at the art of flattery and praise, everything proceeded perfectly smoothly.
「So, how is it even possible to achieve a perfect record in a hundred-board match with a handicap? Especially since some of the applicants understated their true skill level during registration!」(Tenai)
「Well, you can do it once you get used to it. As for whether you will be able to do it, Tenai, that depends on your future self. By the way, how is that 'Solo Mental Dialogue' training I told you about going?」(Ōki)
「It remains difficult. And for some reason, it feels embarrassing. However, I have started to memorize the content of Shogi games... or rather, recalling them has become easier, so I am grateful for that.」(Tenai)
It seems Tenai has not cleared the "Second Barrier" yet. However, with an eye on the future, she has already begun practicing how to teach Shogi to another version of herself within her mind. That said, it does not appear to be going very well.
『Tenai's skeptical expression when you first explained it was quite memorable. Or rather, I doubt anyone other than you, Master, is capable of doing such a thing.』
(Fundamentally, the choice Tenai makes after clearing the Second Barrier is entirely up to her, and I have a feeling this might end in vain. Regardless, it does seem to have a positive effect by making memorization easier.) (Ōki)
Most likely, Tenai is struggling inside her head to converse with her other self, saying things like, 『Should the move here go like this?』 or 『What are you doing? You have to punish that move with this one.』 For now, it is nothing more than a comedic skit, but if she persists, her consciousness—her analytical persona—may eventually split.
Later at the celebration, a scene unfolded where Master Kiyotaki exploded in anger at Kuzuryu, which completely killed the mood. Had it not been for the presence of Zhao-san and little Charlotte, it might have taken a long time for the atmosphere to recover.
Conversations about the Kiyotaki family "Study Group" or the "Kiyotaki Dojo" were supposed to arise next, but since I cannot get involved in those, I will focus my attention on Tenai's match in the main tournament semi-finals. Just as Ai's semi-final opponent is a titleholder, Tenai's opponent is also a titleholder: the one known as the "Eternal Queen," Shakado-san.
...I realized this because Keika-san did not face Shakado-san in the first round, but it seems the tournament bracket differs from the "original story." I believe Tenai will win, yet it remains a matchup that stirs a sense of anticipation and suspense.
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